Effect of s-methyl-L-cysteine on oxidative stress, inflammation and insulin resistance in male wistar rats fed with high fructose diet.

BACKGROUND: S-methyl cysteine (SMC) is a hydrophilic cysteine-containing compound naturally found in garlic and onion. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the protective effect of SMC on oxidative stress, inflammation and insulin resistance in an experiment of metabolic syndrome. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were divided into five groups (6 rats in each group), namely; control, control+S-methyl cysteine (SMC), high fructose diet (HFD), HFD+SMC and HFD+metformin. The 60% fructose used for 8 weeks and SMC in the dose of 100 mg/kg bw/day/rat was used in the study. The fasting glucose, insulin, insulin resistance, and tumor necrosis factor alpha and erythrocyte enzymatic antioxidants were measured. RESULTS: Increased levels of plasma glucose, insulin, malondialdehyde, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and insulin resistance and decreased levels of glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase were found in rats on a high fructose diet. Oral administration of SMC (100 mg/kg bw/day/rat) for 60 days resulted in significant attenuation of plasma glucose, insulin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, insulin resistance and improved antioxidant enzyme activities. CONCLUSION: Oral treatment of SMC is effective in improving insulin resistance while attenuating metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and oxidative stress in male rats fed with fructose rich diet.

Association between cardiac autonomic function, oxidative stress and inflammatory response in impaired fasting glucose subjects: cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The worldwide burden of diabetes in 2030 is projected around 552 million. Diabetes leads to higher risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Altered cardiac autonomic function (CAF) measured by heart rate variability (HRV) is observed in early stages of diabetes but the relationship between impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and HRV is still debatable. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between CAF, oxidative stress, insulin resistance (IR), and inflammatory response in IFG subjects. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional blinded study. Volunteers recruited from health awareness camps underwent CAF and biochemical tests. Based on fasting plasma glucose (FPG) participants (n = 123) were divided into two groups, normal fasting glucose (n = 76) and IFG (n = 47). The comparison of parameters between the groups was carried out using student t test and Mann-Whitney U test for parametric and non-parametric data respectively. The correlation between the parameters was analyzed by Spearman's rank correlation using SPSS 13.0. RESULTS: The resting cardiovagal modulation parameters, heart rate response to forced timed breathing, and orthostatic stress were reduced in IFG subjects. Fasting plasma lipid profile, coronary atherogenic lipid risk factors, IR, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), high sensitive C-reactive protein, and tumor necrosis factor alpha were increased and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was decreased significantly in IFG group but no significant alteration was observed in high-density lipoprotein (HDL-c). Cardiovagal modulation parameters were negatively correlated with triglycerides, FPG, insulin, IR, TBARS, and inflammatory markers and positively with TAC. CONCLUSION: There is a continuous interplay between the altered CAF, hyperinsulinemia, IR, oxidative stress parameters, inflammatory response, and IFG in which one factor perpetuates another leading to the progression of disease.